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Topic Review (Newest First)

08-20-2013 09:21 PM

Flear

if you want algae, there is also another way to go about it.

do a ton of research to find out what kind of algae you want, as specific as you can.

search either boreal.com or carolina.com for the algae your looking for, ...

you can find something that agrees with your hillstream loaches diet and preferences and work to culture that for your fish so you'll have a long-lasting solution to your needs

08-20-2013 12:13 PM

mnemenoi

I know a few keepers that have dedicated species tanks for a variety of the hillstream fish and something they have done that I thought was a creative solution to needing biofilm was to buy a kiddy pool from Wal-Mart and leave in the backyard under full sun and just keep swapping large rocks as they cleaned them for a renewable food source. They get covered in biofilm/algae in no time. I'd just suggest putting a few guppies or mosquitofish to eat the mosquito larvae. and maybe a powerhead for water movement.

08-20-2013 10:56 AM

dzega

i got diatoms when i turned lights off for a few weeks. i believe lots of light will trigger all kind of green algae

08-19-2013 11:09 PM

puopg

Yea lots of light will probably do it. But be warned, you may not get the diatoms you want. Probably will get hair algae and such.

08-19-2013 09:41 PM

jpappy789

I disagree about silica sand...silicon dioxide is inert for the most part. I've used PFS and play sand in plenty of tanks without seeing any lasting diatom bloom.

08-19-2013 05:39 PM

Knotyoureality

If you have a sunny window available to you, it's pretty easy to set up an algae farm. I did this for my otocinclus with a 2.5g tank. Filled it with tank water, tossed in about an inch of polished gravel seeded with a bit of substrate from one of my active tanks, added a half dozen relatively flat river rocks (as many as would fit without shading each other) and put it in direct sunlight.

Took a couple weeks to get much algae growth, but once the rocks started turning green on top, I'd pull one out every couple of days to add to the main tank. When possible, I'd pull the rock out before they'd grazed it entirely clean as the algae regrew much faster if there was still a bit left on the surface when it went back.

Edit:
at least i think silica sand would be high in silicates, ... talking about the fine dust that is causing problems

08-19-2013 05:30 PM

jfynyson

Try to create a beautiful high tech Dutch Style aquascape like this...sure fire way for the unexperienced to experience algae outbreaks....as for brown algae of diatoms specifically...increasing silicates helps !

08-19-2013 05:24 PM

Flear

the brown algae that typically comes with new tanks, ... it's a pretty good assumption you'll never have that again, ever.

i have heard (only heard), actinic florescent lights can really work to increasing the algae you have.

08-19-2013 07:41 AM

jpappy789

Lots of light is a good place to start.

08-19-2013 07:17 AM

aznartist34

Brown algae are diatoms. They're common with newly set up tanks. If you want more algae, leave the light on all day

08-19-2013 06:12 AM

UncleChin

How do i get algae

I want my tank walls to have brown algae for my hillstream loach. I had brown algae before but it magically disappeared. How do i get it back?